Mailer



Sept. 10, 1963 M. D. SHAPIRO MAILER Filed Sept. 12, 1962 F/GI I N VENTOR MART/N D. SHAP/RO A7 7' OR/VE Y United States Patent O 3,103,307MAILER Martin David Shapiro, 1138 Boxwood Road, Jenkintown, Pa. FiledSept. 12, 1962, Ser. No. 223,111.

. 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-74) The present invention relates to a mailer, andmore particularly to a mailer including a mailing bag having attachedthereto a mailing tag which can be folded into a box containing themailing bag.

In the processing of photographic film it has become the practice tosell film processing either with the roll of film, or as a separatecommodity. To permit the film user to mail the film to the filmprocessor with the processing being prepaid, film processing is sold inthe form of a mailer which includes a mailing bag having attachedthereto a mailing tag with the processors address thereon. Thus, whenthe film user buys film processing along with the film, he receives amailer. When the film is completely exposed and ready for processing,the user-merely secures the roll of film in the mailing bag and mails itto the processor. To facilitate the selling of the processing mailers,the mailer is usually placed in a small separate box. The box containingthe mailer can then be attached to a box of film for sale of theprocessing with the film, or can be sold separately.

Since the processor must pay the cost of the mailer and its container,he is desirous of keeping the cost of this at a in order to keep hisprocessing cost at a minimum. However, the processor still desires asmall, compact container for the mailer in order to facilitate the saleof the processing. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a mailerwhich is relatively inexpensive, but which can be arranged in a small,compact package for ease of sale.

It is an object of the present novel mailer.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel mailerincluding a mailing bag having a mailing tag attached thereto.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mailerincluding a mailing bag having a mailing tag attached thereto which canbe folded into a small, compact package.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mailing baghaving attached thereto a mailing tag which can be folded into a small,compact box containing the mailing bag.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide amailer which is relatively inexpensive, and which can he arranged into asmall, compact self-contained package.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in thedrawings a form which is presently preferred, it being understood,however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangementsand instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the mailer of the present, invention in itsopen, flattened condition.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the mailer in itscondition for mailing.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the mailer of the present inventionfolded into its condition as a small, compact package.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view of the mailer invention to providea 3',10 33 0'7 Patented Sept. 10, 1963 "ice of the present inventionmounted on a package of photographic film.

Referring initially to FIGURE 1, the mailer of the present invention isgenerally designated as 10. Mailer 10 comprises a mailing bag 12, and amailing tag 14 attached to the mailing bag.

The mailing bag 12 is substantially rectangular when flattened, and maybe made of cloth, plastic or other flexible material. The open end ofthe mailing bag 12 is folded back and secured to itself to form a loop-16. A draw string 18 extends through the loop 16 with the ends of thedraw string extending \from open ends of the loop. The draw string 18is'used to tightly close the open end of the mailing bag 12 when mailingfilm therein.

The mailing tag 14 comprises a rectangular strip of cardboard, stilfpaper, plastic or the like relatively stiff but 'foldable material. Therectangular strip has five parallel, spaced fold lines 20*, 22, 24-, 26and 28 extending th-ereacross. Fold line 28 is preferably a perforatedline to permit ease of tearing thereal-ong. The fold line 2!) isrelatively close to one end of the tag 14 to provide a bag mounting tab30 across one end of the tag. The fold line 22 is spaced from the foldline 20 to provide a side panel 32. The fold line 24 is spaced from thefold line 22 a distance substantially the same as the distance betweenthe fold line 20 and the end of the tag 14 toform.

an edge panel 34 of substantially the same size as the mounting tab 30.The spacing between the fold line 24 and the fold line 26 is equal tothe spacing between-fold line 22 and fold line 20 to form a second sidepanel 36 of the same size as side panel 32. The fold lines 26 and 28 arespaced apart a distance to form a second edge panel 38 of the same sizeas edge panel 34. The tag 14 is of a length so that the remaining spacebetween the fold line 28 and the other end of the tag provides a coverside panel 40 of the same size as side panels 32 and 36.

A pair of identical end closure strips 42 are integral with the endedges of the second side panel 36 along fold lines 44'. Fold lines 44are preferably perforated lines to permit ease of tearing therealong.Each end closure strip 42 is provided with a fold line 46 which isparallel to and spaced from the fold line 44 to form an end closurepanel 48 and a tuck-in panel 50. The end closure panels 48 extend alongthe entire end edge of the second side panel 36. The tuck-in panels 50are tapered toward the free ends of theclosure strips '42.

A securing tab 52 is integral with the free end of cover side panel 40along a fold line 54'. The fold line 22 is provided with a slit 56therethrough of the same width as the securing tab 52.

The closed end of the mailing bag 12 extends across and is secured tothe mounting tab 30 of the mailing tag 14. As shown in FIGURE 4, themailing bag 12 is secured to the mounting tab 30 by a line of stitching58. However, the mailing bag 12 may be secured to the mounting tab 30 bya cement, or by any other suitable means.

In the use of the mailer 10 of the present invention, the seller ofphotographic film and film processing receives the mailer 10 in itsopen, flat form as shown in FIGURE 1. In this form, a large number ofthe mailers 10 can be stored in stacked relation, and still take up onlya minimum amount of space. When a mailer .10 is to be sold as filmprocessing, the mailer 10 is folded into its compact package conditionshown in FIGURE 3.

To form the mailer 10 into its package condition, the mounting tab 30 isfolded along fold line 20, and the mailing bag 12 is placed across themailing tag 14. The mailing tag 14 is then folded along fold lines 22and 24 to place the side panel 32 over the second side panel 36', andspaced therefrom by the edge panel 34. In this condition of the mailingtag 14-, the mounting tab 30 is over and extends along the fold line 26to help support the side panel 32 spaced from the second side panel 36,see FIGURE 4. The mailing tag 14- is then folded along fold lines 26 and28' so that edge panel 38 extends along the mounting tab 30, and coverside panel 40' extends across side panel 32 as s hown in FIGURE 4. Tosecure the mailer in its package condition, the securing tab 52 isinserted through the slit 56. Instead of the securing tab 52 and slit56, the cover side panel 40 may be coated with a stripe of a pressuresensitive adhesive by which the cover side panel 40 can be secured tothe side panel 32. The adhesive stripe can be covered with a protectivestrip of oiled paper or the like until it is needed.

As the mailing tag .14 is folded into its package condition, the mailingbag 12 is folded Within the mailing tag so as to be enclosed therein. Tocompletely enclose the mailing bag 12 within the mailing tag package,the end closure strips 48 are each folded along fold lines 4-4 and 46.As shown in FIGURE 5, the tuck-in panels 50 are inserted between theside panel 32 and the cover side panel 40. This places the end closurepanels 48 across the space between the side panel 32 and the second sidepanel 36 to completely close the tag package around the mailing bag 12.

In the folded package condition of the mailer 10 of the presentinvention, the mailer 10 is in the form of a self-contained small,compact package which can be easily sold to the user of photographicfilm as a mail-in processing for the film. If desired, the mailer 10 ofthe present invention can be easily mounted in piggy back relation on apackage of photographic film for sale there-,

with. For this purpose, the tuck-in panels 50 are removed from betweenthe side panel 32 and the cover side panel 40 and positioned inalignment with end closure panels 48 so that they project beyond coverside panel 40. As shown in FIGURE 6, the mailer 10' can then be placedon a photo-graphic film package 6d, shown in phantom in FIGURE 6. Thetuck-in panels 50 can then be inserted betwen the side flaps of the filmpackage 60 to secure the mailer 10 on the film package.

When the user of the film is ready to mail the exposed film to theprocessor, he opens the mailer 10 of the present invention to its fiat,open condition. The user places the film in the mailing bag 12, andtightly closes the open end of the mailing bag 12 by means of the drawstring 18 as shown in FIGURE 2. Also as shown in FIGURE 2, the userremoves the end closure strips 42 and the cover side panel 40 by tearingalong fold lines 44 and 28 respectively. The cover side panel 40 mayhave a number printed thereon corresponding with a number printed on theremaining portion of the mailing tag :14 so that the cover side panel 40can act as a receipt. The remaining portion of the mailing tag 14 mayhave the prccessors address printed thereon, and a place for the user,to place his return address. After placing the proper postage on themailing tag 14,-the mailer 10 can then be mailed to the processor.

Thus, there is provided by the present invention a mailer which can beeasily stored in a minimum amount of space in its flat condition, yetcan be folded into a small, compactpackage for sale as mail-in filmprocessing. Since the mailer of the present invention can be folded intoa self-contained package, it requires no additional boxes, and istherefore less expensive than previously used mailers. In addition, themailer of the present invention can be easily stored in its foldedpackage condition by the user of the photographic film, and can providea receiptfor the film when it is mailed to the film processor.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms Withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and,accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, ratherthan to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A mailer comprising a mailing bag and a substantially rectangularmailing tag secured at one end to the closed end of the mailing bag,said mailing tag having five fold lines extending thereacross, said foldlines dividing said mailing tag into a mounting tab at said one end ofthe tag to which the mailing bag is secured, a side panel next to saidmounting tab, an edge panel next to said side panel, a second side panelnext to said edge panel, a second edge panel next to said second sidepanel and a cover side panel next to said second edge panel and at theother end of the tag said side panels being of the same size and saidedge panels being of the same size, said tag being foldable along saidfold lines into a substantially rectangular package containing saidmailing bag therein; a separate end closure strip secured to andextending across each end of the second side panel of the mailing tasaid end closure strips being foldable to extend across the spacebetween the ends of the side panels when the mailing tag is in itsfolded package condition; and means for releaseably securing the coverside panel across and to the first said side panel when the mailing tagis in its folded package condition.

2. A mailer in accordance with claim 1 including a fold line at thejunction of each of the end closure strips and the second side panel,and a fold line across each end closure strip spaced from and parallelto said junction fold line, said fold lines dividing each of said endclosure strips into an end closure panel next to said second side paneland a tuck-in panel at the end of the end closure strip, said endclosure panels adapted to extend across the space between the ends ofthe side panels with the tuck-in panels being insertable between thefirst said side panel and the cover side panel when the mailing tag isin its folded package condition.

3. A mailer in accordance with claim 1 in Which the releasable securingmeans comprises a securing tab extending from the other end of themailing tag, and a slit in the fold line between the first side paneland the first edge panel, said securing tab being insertable throughsaid slit when the mailing tag is in its folded package condition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,157,432 Simpson et 'al Oct, 19, 1915 2,224,455 Hoffmann Dec. 10, 19402,399,537 Belden Apr. 30, 1946 2,619,226 Adams Nov. 25, 1952 2,964,233McFarland Dec. 13, 1960

1. A MAILER COMPRISING A MAILING BAG AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULARMAILING TAG SECURED AT ONE END TO THE CLOSED END OF THE MAILING BAG,SAID MAILING TAG HAVING FIVE FOLD LINES EXTENDING THEREACROSS, SAID FOLDLINES DIVIDING SAID MAILING TAG INTO A MOUNTING TAB AT SAID ONE END OFTHE TAG TO WHICH THE MAILING BAG IS SECURED, A SIDE PANEL NEXT TO SAIDMOUNTING TAB, AN EDGE PANEL NEXT TO SAID SIDE PANEL, A SECOND SIDE PANELNEXT TO SAID EDGE PANEL, A SECOND EDGE PANEL NEXT TO SAID SECOND SIDEPANEL AND A COVER SIDE PANEL NEXT TO SAID SECOND EDGE PANEL AND AT THEOTHER END OF THE TAG SAID SIDE PANELS BEING OF THE SAME SIZE AND SAIDEDGE PANELS BEING OF THE SAME SIZE, SAID TAG BEING FOLDABLE ALONG SAIDFOLD LINES INTO A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR PACKAGE CONTAINING SAIDMAILING